Module 10: Search and Filter Messages

Step by Step:

Search is a powerful tool to help find email messages anywhere in Outlook.

Search email

  1. Select the search bar.
  2. Type a name, subject, or phrase which is included in the email message that you want to find.


Refine your search results

  1. Select the search bar and type a name or subject.
  2. Select an option to refine or widen your search: All Mailboxes, Current Mailbox, Current Folder, Subfolder, or All Outlook Items.
  3. You can also select a category within the Refine group to further filter your search results:
    • From – only shows results from a specific person.
    • Subject - only shows results based on the subject.
    • Has Attachment – only shows emails that have attachments.
    • Categorized – only shows results that have a specific category assigned to them.
    • This Week - searches by when the email message was received: Today, Yesterday, This Week, Last Week, This Month, Last Month, This Year, or Last Year.
    • Sent To – searches messages Sent to You, Not Sent Directly to You, or Sent to Another Recipient.
    • Unread – only shows unread messages.
    • Flagged - only shows messages flagged by you.
    • Important - only shows emails marked as Important.
    • More - filters your results based on more advanced criteria, such as Cc or Sensitivity.
  4. Select Recent Searches to run recent searches again.
    NOTE: Outlook saves only the recent search query, not the results.
  5. Select Close Search to close the Search tab.